Call of the Mountain
by Denebola Leo
Summary: When Cloud and Tifa go off on a long vacation, no one thinks much of it...until they stop answering their phones. Now, Vincent and Nanaki must search out the planet to see where they may have gone, and why...(Cloti, one shot)


**A/N: Aaaaayyy let's spice up tonight with more bullshit! I'd like to thank Senigata very, very much for bouncing this idea around, and I'd like to also thank the Finalheaven: Cloud & Tifa Discord for dealing with my weird ass. Anyway, enjoy, and please tell me what you think!**

* * *

He hadn't been to Seventh Heaven since the party after Geostigma was cured, but no matter; Tifa greeted him warmly and offered him a glass of his favorite red wine like he was a regular. She was always happy to see one of her friends come in for a bite to eat or drink to relax with. Steady, strong, resilient Tifa. Despite his quiet and seemingly cold nature, Vincent appreciated the aura that poured off the woman.

"It's always nice to see you, Vincent. How have you been?"

He took a sip from his glass, appreciating the complex, dry flavor of the wine. When he was finished, he placed it on the counter. "Fine."

She let out a gentle giggle, then nodded. "If you need anything, don't hesitate."

Tifa left him to go to the other side of the bar, flicking open her phone as she did so. A moment later and Vincent overheard her conversation, despite how little he paid attention to it. Hm. A trip with just she and Cloud, for a month. Certainly they worked themselves enough to deserve such a vacation.

His blood red eyes watched her a moment, but before he could move them towards the pictures on the wall, he noticed a strange pink rash on the small of her back. It wasn't large, but a thin, curved line poking out under her leather ensemble. There were a few more on her flat stomach as she turned to face him, her phone stuffed into a pocket.

She cocked her head and raised a brow. "Vincent?"

His eyes flickered to hers, then he pointed at the suspicious pink lines. "Have you been injured?"

Tifa looked down, rubbed her exposed midriff, then tinkled a laugh as she looked back at him. "Oh, no! I got these from a strange ingredient Cloud brought back home. Looks like I was mildly allergic to it."

Strange but, he would let it go. For all he knew Cloud brought back some strange plant he thought was an herb worthy of the kitchen. "You are going away for a while?"

Her face became uncharacteristically serious, but only for the blink of an eye. "Well, Cloud and me...We've been meaning to get some alone time for a while now. Hm. Maybe...find a new place for our family, one day," she shyly divulged.

"I see." It wasn't his business where they decided to roam. "Have fun, wherever you go."

Tifa beamed at him. "Thank you, Vincent. Want a refill?"

* * *

That time at the bar had been on Vincent's mind since the call went out to everyone in Avalanche—Cloud and Tifa were missing. Their phones immediately went to voicemail, and they had never told anyone exactly where they were planning to go. Not even Yuffie had been able to pry out where they were going, just that they were leaving.

"We haven't checked here." Nanaki's voice came from below him, the red-furred creature looking ahead towards a sign that said 'Nibelheim'. "And I know they passed through Cosmo Canyon. One of the elders noticed them."

Would they come here, out of all the places they could roam? It was their hometown. Was. Now it was just a ghost town, the actors long gone after the paychecks stopped coming in. A ghost town populated by the specters of the past. Vincent had his doubts that they came here, but since they were in the area... "It wouldn't hurt to look."

The path to Nibelheim became a dirt road, cradled by forest and lorded over by Mount Nibel, the bizarrely shaped, double peaked mountain that sported spikes and spacious caverns through its chain. The mako reactor that sat upon it like a mechanical tick had ceased suckling Lifestream three years ago, giving the area time to heal again. The air became increasingly crisp as the two went further up the path, Spring bringing the faint scent of flowering trees, though most laid bare.

A small growl, and Vincent looked down. Nanaki's hackles were up, and the ex-Turk took stock of their surroundings. "What is it?" he muttered from behind the red collar of his cape.

Nanaki sniffed the air, then let out a huff. "There is something here, I can smell it on the wind. But I do not know what..."

Vincent let out a grunt as his gun was gripped by his hand. "Then let us proceed with caution."

The path had pools of rain water here and there, the compacted dirt slightly overrun by weeds and occasionally patched with mud. Any trail left by Fenrir would have been erased by spring showers. No matter, they knew what was at the end of this road. An abandoned, recreated town. If Cloud and Tifa weren't there, they would still find a dry place to stay the night.

The short journey into town was strangely devoid of monsters, but from the edge of the woods would come the sound of something skittering through the leaf litter. Almost always ahead of them, and by Nanaki's reckoning quite shy. They smelled like nothing he had ever smelled before, and described it as warm like an ungulate's fur and peppery like the shell of a crushed insect. Neither knew what to think of it, but it left them alone.

They came to the entrance of the abandoned town, a truck rusted beyond repair to the side and the water tower standing by itself in the middle of the town square. The red tiled buildings coated in a pale yellow plaster were huddled together in a wide circle, giving the impression that all the wood rimmed windows were eyes that watched the outsiders enter their realm. Vincent had to admit, Shinra had done a very good job at reconstructing the ill-fortuned town.

A feeling, small but nagging, told them they shouldn't be here.

As they came closer to the water tower, they noticed a dark shape behind it. Hopeful, they walked towards it, and upon turning the corner of the tower's base found Fenrir, perfectly intact. Vincent glanced the bike with his gloved fingers, then looked about. "So, they did come here."

Nanaki put his nose to the moist dirt near Fenrir, his ears pulled back. "Hm. I smell them, and that strange scent from the woods. Are they alright?"

Vincent looked down at his friend as he mused out loud, and he had to wonder the same. What made them come out here, miles upon miles from the nearest village? Had they been attacked, and seeked refuge here? Perhaps that was why they hadn't called. Maybe their phones were broken.

He heard a small twig snap behind him, causing Vincent to twirl around and aim his gun at the potential threat. He lowered his weapon; his eyes widened almost imperceptibly as they took in just who had sneaked up on them—Cloud.

He was dressed differently, that was the first thing either of them noticed. Blue jeans and thick brown boots, and of all things he could wear, it was a long, red plaid shirt, buttoned up to his neck. Cloud looked less surprised than they, interestingly enough to Vincent. The blond crossed his arms, but stayed relaxed. "Nanaki, Vincent. What brings you this way?" There was the barest hint of an edge to his voice.

Nanaki let out a huff of disbelief. "We were going to ask you that!" He trotted just a little closer to Cloud. "Everyone's been worried sick about you two."

Cloud's blue eyes softened at the news. "Oh."

"'Oh'?" Nanaki's tail swished with some irritation. "Neither of you have been answering your phones!" he scolded.

"Oh...The phones. Right." Cloud nodded as he said it. "When we got here, I mean, there's no electricity, we've just had coal and wood burning for cooking and heating. So our phones died on us. I-I've been trying to get this small steam powered generator to work outside of the house, but it's been slow going."

"Hm." _ They must be insistent on staying here. But why? _Vincent couldn't help but wonder why they would wish to stay in this fake town with a very real nightmare in the form of the Shinra Mansion sitting at the edge, nestled by forest. Not one to pry, but he was one to get to the bottom of strange situations. "Would you like some help with it?"

Cloud pursed his lips and looked from them, to a house behind them, then to his boots. He seemed to be thinking it over, as strange as that was for him. Finally he looked back up at them, and hesitantly nodded. "Yeah. Well, how about some lunch first? I'm sure Tifa would like to see you guys."

Nanaki salivated. "Yes, I'd love to!"

Vincent looked over at him with a raised brow, but said nothing else. He simply followed them into a two story house that had hardwood floors and white plaster walls. The smell coming from the kitchen was familiar but gamey, and as he walked through the doorway he observed a small wood table with a red cloth decorating it, two refrigerators, a coal fired furnace on the far wall next to large water tank, and a wood stove next to the sink, utensils hanging in a cluttered way on the wall above it.

Tifa was smiling their way.

"Vincent, Nanaki!" She left the large pot she had been stirring to greet them. She, too, was covered to her neck in fabric. She wore a red dress that was more conservative than either of them had seen on her before. Her hair was still down and slightly longer than last they spoke. She looked a little thicker around the belly and her breasts, but it could have been a trick of shadow and the red hue of the dress.

"Came over to check on us," Cloud drawled out. "Vincent said he'd try and help me with the generator after lunch."

"Oh, well, thank you, Vincent!" Tifa did her usual point and pose at the table, urging him to sit. "We don't have a lot of variety up here, I bet you can imagine. We only brought a few supplies with us, like flour and coffee and oatmeal."

"I've had to hunt for food," Cloud explained. "The wild plants haven't grown enough to harvest, yet. But...the mountain provides."

Vincent had many questions as he sat at the table, like why they were dressed in such a manner, why did they not go out for more supplies, and why on earth did they come back to Nibelheim when they were dedicated to putting the past behind them? As much as he trusted Cloud and Tifa, he intuitively knew he would not get any good answers from either of them.

He was given a mug of coffee, then a plate of some sort of sausage that looked familiar to him. A long time ago, the people of Nibelheim made these—blood sausages. They were putting time and effort into their food supplies. But how did they keep stored meat cold? Materia, he hoped. Vincent nonchalantly began to cut and eat the lunch presented to him, but he couldn't help but notice the stiff shoulders of his hosts.

He looked down at Nanaki, who was nibbling the skin of the sausages off in a strangely careful manner. He looked like he was perhaps preoccupied, either with his thoughts or his nose, or both. It tasted fine, so there was no worry the meat was off.

"So, are the children alright?" Tifa began. She was drinking water, not coffee, odd as that was.

"They're worried about you two," Vincent replied blandly.

Cloud's eyes flickered downward towards his plate, then at Vincent. "...Would you mind if we used your phone to call them, after lunch?"

"If you wish."

"Thanks."

Vincent relinquished his phone to them before checking the generator behind the house. It was of a model that was at least as old as he was, but sturdy and well made. He wondered where the Shinra had found such a thing to replicate the town with, but brushed the thought away. He knew this model and its kinks, and went to work on it with the tools Cloud had lying around the shed.

"There are strange scents," Nanaki whispered to his friend.

Vincent grunted, swiping away some strange web from the side of the generator with his metal claw. "You've said as much before."

"Yes, but..." His whisper became but a noisy breath. "I smell more than them in that house."

The marksman looked over with a raised brow, demanding he continue.

"It smells like a young human. And there's a strange scent hanging around Cloud and Tifa. Like the scent outside the town." Nanaki did his best impression of a shrug. "I do not know what this means."

"Neither do I," came Vincent's reply, and he continued his work on the generator. It was just a simple issue of cleaning a few gears of rust and gunk, nothing serious. All they had to do was use a fire materia to boil the water and make steam, and they would have electricity.

"Don't you care?"

Again Vincent looked over at his four legged friend, and he sighed heavily. "There's not much that can be done."

There was a sound on the wind, almost like the cry of a baby. Perhaps it was just the sound of a local bird or the mewl of a stray cat. _ There were no babies in Nibelheim. _

Nanaki pulled back his ears in a display of irritation. "What little we can do, we should."

The sound of the fence gate squeaking open silenced them. Cloud was slowly strolling over to them, phone up to his ear. "Well, I figure it's a lot nicer to live in a small town than in Edge. It's just so stuffy...Well of _ course _ I can still run my delivery business from here! Marlene would be closer to Corel, you know that. Fine, we can talk about it when we get back. Night, Barret."

He closed the phone and handed it to Vincent. "Thanks. It was good to talk to them again."

Vincent nodded as he took his phone and pocketed it. "I fixed the generator. It should be good to go, if you have a fire materia."

"Yeah, I do. Owe you one, Vincent."

The raven haired man shook his head and stood up. "Are you still staying a month?"

Cloud nodded an affirmative. "Yeah. Then we'll be back, but...We're thinking of moving here, permanently."

"What about your children?" Nanaki asked.

"They'd be coming with us, of course. I just gotta get the town fixed up. Maybe Tifa can run a tavern here, since there's travelers that come through the area once in a while..." Cloud shrugged. "All in the future."

It seemed such a sudden decision to Vincent, that these two so burdened by the past would wish to repopulate it with their family. But, it was their decision to make, not his. "I'll be sure to visit."

Cloud grinned. "Can't wait." He moved to look towards the inn, then pointed at it. "We'd host you, but it's actually kinda cramped upstairs. But if you wanna use the inn for the night, we can bring you some dinner, okay?"

That was reasonable. "Sure."

Vincent and Nanaki decided to stay the night, though the ex-Turk stayed in the room and watched out the second story window. For what, he really wasn't sure. Had Nanaki's concerns left an impression upon him? _ Maybe so, _ he thought. After all, he said he would watch. Nanaki had been far more restless, the wolf-like creature deciding on a walk around town instead of holing up in the inn like his friend.

Occasionally he would see Nanaki trot this way or that, when he wasn't swallowed up by the leafless forest or sniffing about a scent trail he had found. If he hadn't been agitated this afternoon, he certainly seemed he was now. So, perhaps he had found something to quell their curiosity and concern.

He had come in for dinner, which was a bit more gracious than blood sausages—Cloud and Tifa had brought over steaks, thick ones, from what smelled like elk. A fragrant and heavy meat for sure—perhaps they had seen Nanaki running about, and thought he might need something to weigh him down? That sounded a bit silly to Vincent. Their friends were giving them good food. But he had to wonder: why did they not have them over for dinner?

Maybe something _ was _ up.

It was when Cloud and Tifa had departed that Nanaki finally spoke of his search around town, which began with a warning: "Don't eat that."

"Hm?"

"There's dream powder sprinkled on it." He sneered at his steak, chopped up in a bowl for easier consumption. "They placed it on the bottom of my bowl, but I can still smell it despite the gamey scent of the elk mixed with garlic."

Vincent examined his steak closely in the dim candlelight. There were tiny grains upon its surface, but very few were pure white. He stood and brought the plate closer to the fireplace, the light revealing the telltale rainbow of pale hues that came from the unique powder. "...Why would they do this?"

"I don't know, but I've found some clues as to what's happening here...but they lead to more questions." Nanaki moved to a dark corner of the room, and when he came back, there was a large wad of what looked like spider silk in his mouth. Vincent helped take it out of his maw, and examined the strange substance. "This is all about the woods and houses," Nanaki explained, his shoulders tight. "I found this on a butchered elk carcass."

It had lost most of its stickiness, but it was still strong. Nothing rested within, so at the very least it wasn't an egg sack or a cocoon. He looked at Nanaki. "They knew you were snooping around."

Nanaki gave a single, firm nod of his head. "They had to have, though I avoided the house but to talk to them a little. I swear to you, I heard the cry of a baby. Not just when I was in there, but outside, too. I think there's a baby in the house."

"But whose baby would it be?"

"I do not know, or maybe I do, but deny it." The beast licked his nose as he looked towards the door, ominous in the darkness. He looked back at his friend. "There's more. I found a scent trail that led up into the mountains. Not too far up, but it lead into a small cave."

He paused, seemingly collecting his thoughts. "Something wanted me to leave. I could feel it communicating with me. 'Leave this place'."

Vincent raised his brows. Perhaps it was that strange feeling that permeated the area, making him feel out of place. Not welcomed.

"The cave...there are carvings in the walls. At the back is what looks like a large, smooth rock with a flat surface, and something that looks like a statue of stone and materia fused to the wall right above it. Mako flows within."

"What did it look like?"

Nanaki tightened his jaw, thinking it over. "Nothing I've ever seen before, and rather difficult to describe. Not quite a mammal, not quite an insect, not quite a human." He wrinkled his nose. "It smelled in there. Like, like bodily fluids, and not just blood."

"Hmm..." What was happening here? Cloud and Tifa were some of the last people they would expect dirty tricks from. They weren't acting themselves. More than anything, it increased his worry for his friends. "I suppose we will have to get to the bottom of this."

They watched from the second story window as the light of dusk waned quickly. There was light from the moonrise, waxing and gibbous, and some small measure from the house Cloud and Tifa resided in. After a time the door opened, and the two left to walk up the mountain path, silhouettes that slowly disappeared into the night.

Vincent looked at Nanaki and nodded. "You should follow them. I will examine their house."

With caution the two left the safety of the inn, that thrum to leave louder in the night than during the day. Vincent paid it no heed as he leapt atop the roof of the house and getting a look around the area from his perch. There was no activity within the town...but something moved right outside the front gate. A monster? He wasn't sure.

A small cry from below startled him, and he remembered what he was here for.

Carefully he changed into a red specter that looked like his cape if it were alive. It didn't take much to get the window to open up for him, unlatched from the inside. He swept inside and changed back, then looked about his surroundings.

_ Leave. _

There was a bed right behind him, and a piano in front. An intricately designed rug covered the wood floor, and a wooden chair and table with books and writing utensils sat on the far wall. What piqued his curiosity the most in the darkness was what rested in the room, barely suspended off the ground in a nest of spun silk.

It was a newborn, softly crying to no one in particular.

Vincent wasn't one to let emotion get the best of him if he could help it, but foreboding was growing in his heart. He went over to examine the little baby and what it was laying in. A little girl, resting in softest silk, taking interest in Vincent's finger as it probed the webbing. Well, she _ seemed _ normal, for all intents and purposes. With his enhanced eyesight, he caught reddish hues in her irises and fine, light brown hair that came up in wisps.

She smiled a toothless smile, then babbled at him.

_ That was enough of that for now. _ He stood straight to look around the room for any more clues. There was a brown, leather covered book on the table that looked similar to a journal. He walked over to it and sure enough, there were writings in Tifa's hand. It was in Nibelese towards the end, but that had been a language he had picked up long ago, before Hojo did what he had done to his body. Still, he was rusty. It was not a common language at all. _ Antiquated. _

_ 12/12/0009 _

_ It's been a few months since Cloud returned to us. He's like he was before his depression got the best of him, and I'm happy. He's happy. We're going to put our best foot forward. _

_ 12/20/0009 _

_ There's an itch I cannot reach, under my birthmark. I wonder if Cloud is the same, because I see him scratching the same spot, over and over again. He's been a little more...jealous, if he comes home from deliveries early and notices a patron flirting with me. I think I should be upset, but...I just feel more attracted to him, strangely. _

_ 12/22/0009 _

_ I had a strange dream last night. I was in Nibelheim, and it was full of people. I felt like I knew them, but I've never met them in my life. I traveled up to a cave, then woke up...No. _ _ I don't think _ _ The town is dead, and so is its traditions...right? I asked Cloud if he's been feeling alright, but he looks as lost as I am. _

_ 12/25/0009 _

_ Happy Yule! The children loved their presents! Denzel said this was his first family Christmas since he was six. While guilt for the sector seven plate collapse is still heavy on my heart, I'm glad that he found joy with our family. Cloud was dressed like Santa, but he really needs to work on his "ho ho ho"! _

_ 12/26/0009 _

_ The itch is starting to spread. I saw Cloud's birthmark, on his upper back, and...it looks like a raised, pink rash. Mine is no different, just the pattern. He admitted to having the dreams after sipping some alcoholic eggnog last night after we put the kids to bed. I think we are being called back. Do we answer it? _

_ 01/12/0010 _

_ Yes, I understand now. Cloud understands too. We have to go. Nibelrung calls us back. We will be back home soon, just let us prepare. Nibel tried to call out to the actors, but no, they wouldn't be enough. The Mountain needs us. Cloud and I are the last ones left that can do this. _

_ 01/20/0010 _

_ The wait is taking its toll on us both. Cloud has become more agressief in bed, making his intentions towards me clear, and I want it. It thrums through us both. Vermenigvuldigen, Nibelrung demands it. Soon, soon. The rash grows a lovely pattern on us. I spend the days in this bar hoping to be free and in Nibelheim again, and then when we make it habitable again we'll bring the barnr to live with us. _

_ 02/05/0010 _

_ Vincent visited the bar. He seemed understanding that we had to take a long vacation soon. I wish he would visit more, since we aren't getting any younger, ha. If he visits while we're gone, I'll make sure his wine is in stock. _

_ 02/28/0010 _

_ The kids are safe and sound, and Barret and Yuffie are watching the bar. Cloud looked as if he had been freed from his shackles, and I'm sure I look the same way. It's time to go home. _

_ 03/03/0010 _

_ We've reached Nibelheim. It took us no time at all to clean up..."my" house. It'll do, it's big enough. Our helpers brought us meat. We were exhausted, so, today we will just eat and sleep. It's okay, Nibelrung wants us to be ready for tomorrow night. _

_ 03/04/0010 _

_ vif ind bondr! In front of Nibelrung, he blessed our union. We honored him like our ancestors did, and it felt so right. Cloud can be a bit of an animal sometimes, but this is how it's done in Nibelheim. I feel so happy, so complete. Cloud has been smiling so much. _

_ 03/05/0010 _

_ I'm pregnant! The Mountain is blessing us. Ah, I've been so hungry lately. We'll have to make something for the baby to rest in, there's no cradles in the village. _

_ 03/11/0010 _

_ I've given birth to a baby girl. We named her Stella in front of Nibelrung. Then we began the cycle again. I will be pregnant again soon, if I'm not already. _

_ 03/18/0010 _

_ Vincent and Nanaki have come to Nibelheim in search of us...We really should have called to stop any worries, but, I'm afraid we just got carried away. Hopefully they leave without any further concerns. We'll come back home, guys, just let us have our peace. _

_ Nanaki has been snooping around the town, they said. _

_ skritch skritch skritch _

Vincent put down the journal and turned his head towards the closed door. Something moved on the other side. The baby let out a giggle at the sound, and the ex-Turk soon heard whatever was on the other side of the door creep away, as if satisfied by the baby's happy sounds. Something made sense, as much as he hated it. But it was time for him to leave, before anything else happened.

He took one last look at Stella, who innocently looked up at him like he was the most interesting person she had ever met, then headed out the window again. He crouched on the sill, watching the horizon and right below him. Vincent's gaze spied something again by the front gate, and he narrowed his eyes.

It looked to have eight legs like a spider, but it looked to have shaggy hair. Something moved where a head should be, but it was too far away to get much more detail, but he estimated it to be the size of a large child. It made a strange, short bellow, like a goat or an elk.

_ Leave this place. _

He leapt up to the roof again and watched for any sign of Nanaki. Vincent wondered if those creatures had found him, chasing him out of the area or worse. He couldn't let his friend come to any harm, so he leaped onto the rooftop of the next house over, then off towards the path that took off into the mountains.

He heard a strange noise behind him, but whatever they were, they would never catch up to him. He hoped. Off to the trails he wondered which one to take; one he knew would go off towards the defunct reactor, but there were two others.

"Vincent?"

He snapped his head towards the trail on his left. Nanaki's snout was poking out of the budding underbrush, and he quickly strode towards him. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, but those things are around, and Cloud and Tifa, they..." Nanaki trailed off, his single eye glazing over as unseen memories passed through his mind. "I should not have watched them."

"...What did they do?"

Nanaki slowly shook his head. "They are...well...you know. I do not wish to watch any more." A heavy sigh left his lips, and he looked at Vincent curiously. "Did you find out anything?"

Vincent nodded. "From what I gather, this is some sort of fertility ritual rooted in Nibelese culture. They think the mountain called them here." He eyed the path, and walked towards it, careful that the metal on his boots would not disturb any pebbles.

"Where are you going?"

"I must make sure."

He needed to see for himself, that Cloud and Tifa were mad, or possessed, or whatever it was that had befallen them. He could barely entertain the idea of either becoming the reproductive slaves of an unseen monster that existed somewhere on the mountain. As much as he didn't want to do it, his old Turk sensibilities told him to see it through.

_ Come no further. _

There was one of those creatures, further up and going past a cave that had the sounds of moans and groans emanating from it. From behind, Vincent spied horns and what looked like hooves on its two hind pairs of legs. A baffling creature, to be sure, the abdomen bulbous and furry. But Vincent was stealthy enough to creep into the entrance of the cave.

It was like Nanaki had described, a cavern that had been smoothed out either by water or by man, or both. The walls had swirls and spider web patterns, and what could only be an altar stood at the far end. The statue in the wall was mind boggling, almost painful to look at; It was as if Hojo himself had melted a spider, a goat, and a man together to create an absolute abomination.

There, in the middle of this small, green glowing cave, were his friends. Naked and sweating, there were marks, raised and ruddy and taking the form of a spider's web all over their bodies. Something was wrong with their eyes, or at least Tifa's eyes. Cloud wasn't facing him, and Tifa was in the throes of some strange trance, quietly chanting and panting, her legs spread wide and her arms holding her from behind. Cloud was watching her nether regions, and Vincent spied a baby crowning there.

"Push, one more time," Cloud muttered. His hands were prepared to catch it, a clean white towel between them.

_ Leave. _

Vincent heard her grunt, but she looked not to be in pain at all, just focused. She took a deep breath, then pushed. There was a sickening sound as the baby slid out and into Cloud's waiting hands, then the baby began to gurgle a cry.

Her eyes fluttered open, and she smiled down at it with all eight irises in her eyes.

Vincent did a hard blink, but it stayed the same. Her eyes weren't the warm burgundy that kindly asked without words how he was doing, but black orbs sporting four amber circles on each. Tifa wiped the sweat from her brow as Cloud picked the baby up and placed it on the altar, making Vincent freeze in anticipation.

"It's a boy." Cloud gently rubbed the newborn's forehead as it rested in the towel, and it let out a mewl of a cry. "...Zack. Nibelrung, his name is Zack."

_ Kree! Kree! _

Nanaki had come this way, his body being weighed down by webs as the creatures tucked their abdomens under them and shot silken streams. He roared in panic and rage as several monsters circled him, thrashing in place as his legs were anchored down. Their front legs ended in something akin to human hands, helping guide the silk along.

Vincent shot out of the cave entrance in a fury, his gun out and aiming at the first of the creatures. Its face was something goat-like on top, with its ears and horns, something human-like in the middle, with its eyes(so similar to Tifa's!) and nose, and the bottom half like a spider, with large fangs and palps. He would be happy to put it out of its misery.

"No!" cried Tifa from behind him.

And he _ hesitated. _ Something about her voice would always affect him in a battle, and this was sadly no different. His gun was glued to his hand with a thick ribbon of wet silk, the rest of him not far behind. He fell to the ground with a heavy thump, the creatures surrounding their prey and watching them with beady, dimly glowing eyes. _ So this was how they would die _, he thought.

"You two shouldn't be here."

Cloud's stern voice was above him. He struggled to look him eye to eye, and was more than willing to let Galian Beast rip them out of this predicament before either became a liquified meal.

Nanaki tore his head free, causing the monsters agitation; they did not tread closer, however. "You traitorous—!" He snarled at them, confused and angry.

Tifa slowly walked over to him, then bent over to his eye level. "It's not like that," she said simply.

"Do you mind telling us how it is, then?" Vincent grumbled. "Are you possessed? What are you doing up here?"

She turned to look at him as Cloud came into view. Were they staying the hands of these creatures? Tifa tilted her head, letting some of her hair cascade down her shoulder. "We are the last Nibelese on the planet, Vincent. The Mountain called us back to restart Nibelheim."

"And what of these things?" Nanaki accusingly asked.

"They're part of the Mountain, like us," Cloud confessed in an agitated voice. "They slept under the Mountain for a long time, just like Nibelrung...The reactor is dead, so they're alive," he muttered.

Cautiously, Tifa removed a strand of web from Nanaki's face. She looked...sad. Conflicted. "A long time ago, they would show up when Nibelheim needed assistance from the Mountain. But the reactor stopped all that.

"Now we can restart. That's all we want to do."

Vincent wasn't sure if he bought it, especially after trying to feed them a drugged dinner. "What you want to do, or what the...mountain, wants you to do for it?"

A humorless, short chuckle came from Cloud. "Our bodies and souls are part of it. It's always been this way."

"It's just that, we didn't know it would recover so quickly...Claim us so fast..." Tifa let out a sigh, and smiled weakly at Nanaki. "We promise we aren't a danger to the planet, or to anybody. There's just...so much to explain, that's hard to explain in the first place." In what was seemingly a sign of goodwill, she tore the silk off of her four-legged friend.

Nanaki licked his nose and got his bearings, his ears pulled back and with a distrusting glare on his eye. "A promise, from you?" he asked sharply.

Cloud was pulling the webbing off Vincent. "We don't take promises lightly."

That they did not, Vincent knew. These two did keep their promises. He brushed off a few strands of silk as he eyed the creatures, as unsure of his intentions as he was of theirs. He locked onto Cloud's, amber and smoldering. He looked nervous, and his cheeks even sported a slight blush. This was definitely Cloud. "I will be watching," he promised back.

Cloud stared at him for a few moments, then nodded deeply. "Watch us as much as you want." He motioned towards the cave, a baby crying within. "Except in there." He turned to enter the cave. Tifa followed after him, giving a bashful, farewell glance to her two friends.

The creatures, sensing these two as non-intruders, began to stalk off. As for Vincent and Nanaki, they could not escape Nibelheim soon enough.

* * *

"Hey, Vincent. It's been a few months."

Nonchalant as always, Vincent walked up to the bar and sat at his favorite seat at the end. He watched Tifa hawkishly, the woman back to her usual, strong, bright self. She was opening a bottle of his red wine and pouring him a glass. It was as if nothing happened.

_ As if nothing happened. _ There had been confusion among their friends when Cloud and Tifa had brought four babies home. They had found them in Nibelheim, they had said to them. Vincent had to make sure Nanaki held his tongue. He was still plenty sour over his treatment in Nibelheim, but it would pass...with good behavior.

Of course, they all knew they were moving back to Nibelheim as soon as they could. Marlene seemed to mind less than Denzel, but she had four babies to coddle. Denzel had less to distract him. But, wasn't that normal? Normal after _ that _?

Her fingers tapped against the counter as she leaned upon the cool, stone surface. "We found a seller, so we'll be moving to Nibelheim soon."

Vincent gave her a piercing glare. "What do you intend to do with Marlene and Denzel?"

She frowned at him. "Nothing!" She shook her head and looked away. "That...that was just for us," she quietly confided. "Just us."

"Hm." He sipped from his glass. _ Well, they've kept their promise so far, _ he thought. "Are those creatures still there?"

Tifa shrugged. "Maybe, maybe not. They aren't hostile towards children, so there's no need to worry about that." She licked her lips. "Our god is a fertility god, you see."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. So, it wants Nibelheim to grow. Bringing people in to settle, it's like a gift to Nibelrung. When our children get older, they will find people they love, bring them back to the village, and Nibelheim will grow." She was looking at him with red eyes that were still guilt-ridden from that night. "Vincent, I'm—I'm sorry about that night. We weren't completely in our right minds."

He snorted. "I'll say." Another sip of wine.

She sighed through her nose and stood up straight. "Don't forget, that you're welcome anytime you need us for something."

"Except for elk steaks."

A red blush creeped over her face. "I'm sorry, Vincent, we just wanted you both to stay in the inn!"

He knew, of course. She was acting like Tifa, and hopefully Cloud was acting like Cloud. Nanaki had been hesitant to visit either of them since that chilly March evening. But hopefully that was the end of that small chapter of madness in their lives, and Vincent would make sure to watch over them until his worries were put to rest.


End file.
